Rockets Sneak Past Falcons, 4-3

Friday, March 28

Toledo, OH

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

Toledo

March 28, 2014 | Women's Tennis

Doubles point proves to be the difference at Shadow Valley

By: TOLEDO, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Drew Fillis - Sept 21 2013 - Mike Cihon photo

The doubles point proved to be crucial as the University of Toledo got past the Bowling Green State University tennis team, 4-3, Friday afternoon (March 28). The Mid-American Conference dual match was held at Shadow Valley Tennis Club.

With the win, the Rockets improve to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in MAC play. The Falcons drop to 6-5 and 1-1, respectively.

Each of the three doubles matches came right down to the wire, but the Rockets won two of the three, giving UT the day's initial point. That point proved to be crucial when each team captured three singles matches.

Senior co-captain Nikki Chiricosta was a double winner for the Falcons, with victories at both singles and doubles. Sophomore Drew Fillis and freshman Hannah Drayton also picked up wins in singles play, while soph Katie Brozovich teamed with Chiricosta to win at the second doubles flight.

"Despite the loss today, we saw some positives come out of this match," said BGSU head coach Penny Dean. "Our young players at the fourth, fifth and sixth flights stepped up and played good, solid tennis. The doubles point was so close – every match was so tight from start to finish – and it was hanging in the balance for what seemed like forever."

"Both teams played very well today. Toledo was just a little more aggressive at key points on their home court. Both teams fought very hard, though, and it was quite a battle."

Two of the three doubles matches were 8-6 outcomes, with the third requiring a tiebreaker. In singles action, three of the six matches went to the maximum three sets, two others went to a 'breaker in the second set, and the sixth match saw both sets end in 7-5 scores.

UT's win snapped a four-match series winning streak for the Falcons. BGSU leads the all-time series with the Rockets by a 26-17 count.

The Rockets captured an 8-6 win in the number-one doubles match, as Lexy Pitt and Emily Mazzola got past Fillis and senior Emily Reuland. Brozovich and Chiricosta rallied past Katelyn Nguyen and Pia Rygh by that same score at the second flight, but the third-flight match went to UT in a tiebreaker.

That match saw Mackenzie Bowman and Lauren Thai rally back from a 6-3 deficit to tie the match at 6-6. BG's team of Drayton and fellow freshman Harley Hutchison took the next game, but the Rockets fought off a pair of match points to win the next game, then captured a narrow tiebreaker.

The third-flight match ended just seconds after the match at the number-two flight came to a conclusion, giving the Rockets the doubles point and a 1-0 lead.

In the only match that did not require either a third set or a tiebreaker, Drayton downed Mazzola at the fifth flight. The BG freshman trailed, 5-4, in the opening set before winning the next three games. Four times in the second set, Drayton took a one-game lead, but Mazzola rallied from a 4-3 deficit to take a 5-4 lead. Again, though, Drayton won the next three games to take the set and the match.

Rygh gave the Rockets a 2-1 lead with a three-set win over Brozovich at the third flight. The UT junior won a 6-4 opening set, before Brozovich evened the match with a second-set win. The BG soph won the first three games, saw Rygh rally to within a game, then captured three-straight games to win the set. But, Rygh took an early lead and was never headed in her third-set win.

Fillis, however, put together an impressive performance for a win over Pitt at the fourth flight. She took a 4-0 lead in the first set, and held off a comeback attempt by the Rockets' junior for a 6-4 victory. Pitt rallied back to capture the second set, but Fillis systematically pulled away in the third set, taking a 4-1 lead and salting away the victory with a 6-2 win.

"I am excited that Drew played so well today," said Dean. "Even though she has been struggling a little bit in recent matches, she has never stopped battling. She played right through the pressure points today. She got out to an early lead in her win in the first set, and really controlled the third set. I think this is going to be a breakthrough win for Drew."

Nguyen gave UT the match lead once again, though, defeating Reuland at the second flight. Nguyen won a 6-2 opening set, then captured a marathon tiebreaker after a back-and-forth second set which went to a tiebreaker. UT won that 'breaker by an 11-9 outcome, and the Rockets needed to win one of the remaining two matches for the victory.

UT got that win at the sixth flight, where Bowman rallied for a three-set win over Hutchison. The BG freshman won a nip-and-tuck opening set by a 7-5 count, breaking Bowman's serve and taking the last two games after the two were tied at 5-5. Bowman, however, won a 6-1 second set, then took the last two games for a 6-3 win in the third set.

At the top flight, Chiricosta added to her school-record singles win total by downing Chrissy Coffman in straight sets. Chiricosta shook off an early 2-0 deficit in the opening set, winning four-straight games to take the lead, then capturing the last two games after Coffman had crept to within 4-3. The second set saw Coffman lead on several occasions, but Chiricosta won two games in a row for a 6-5 lead. Coffman forced a tiebreaker, but could take only one point in that 'breaker as Chiricosta picked up the win.

In her career, Chiricosta now has 182 combined career wins, including 91 singles victories. Both of those totals are school records, and she is second in school history with 91 doubles wins, only six shy of Maddy Eccleston's (2010-13) BG record in that category.

The Falcons return to action Saturday afternoon (March 29), heading to Ypsilanti to take on Eastern Michigan University in a 1:00 p.m. start at the Chippewa Racquet Club.

Toledo 4, BGSU 3
Fri., March 28, 2014 – Shadow Valley Tennis Club – Toledo, Ohio
SINGLES
1 – Nikki Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Chrissy Coffman 6-3, 7-6(1)
2 – Katelyn Nguyen (UT) def. Emily Reuland 6-2, 7-6 (11-9)
3 – Pia Rygh (UT) def. Katie Brozovich 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
4 – Drew Fillis (BGSU) def. Lexy Pitt 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
5 – Hannah Drayton (BGSU) def. Emily Mazzola 7-5, 7-5
6 – Mackenzie Bowman (UT) def. Harley Hutchison 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

DOUBLES
1 – Pitt/Mazzola (UT) def. Fillis/Reuland 8-6
2 – Brozovich/Chiricosta (BGSU) def. Nguyen/Rygh 8-6
3 – Bowman/Lauren Thai (UT) def. Drayton/Hutchison 8-7(6)

RECORDS
BGSU 6-5, 1-1 Mid-American Conference
UT 11-4, 2-1 MAC

ORDER OF FINISH
Doubles: 1,2,3
Singles: 5,3,4,2,6,1